By USAG Stuttgart Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division
There are thousands of household cleaning products on the market that claim to be environmentally friendly, eco-friendly or biodegradable.
Unfortunately, there is no governing organization to substantiate such claims.
But there are eco-labels, and when you purchase household cleaners you should look for them. “Ecolabeling” is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labeling that is practiced around the world. An “eco-label” is a label which identifies overall, proven environmental preference of a product or service within a specific product/service category.
The greenest cleaning-product manufacturer, however, is you.
Eco-experts say that making your cleaning products at home is the best solution, and recipes can be found all over the Internet. Most are made from simple ingredients such as white vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice — stuff that’s a lot friendlier than many of the products on the market.